The present invention relates to an adapter for a slide switch, and in particular to an adapter which attaches to a slide switch for the purpose of operating it from the side.
Various types of slide switches such as DIP switches are per se known; one such is disclosed in copending patent application Ser. No. 651,761. Such a slide switch is typically mounted to a printed circuit board and is used for setting up data for the circuit on said printed circuit board by setting one or more sliding switch members of the slide switch, which typically are accessible only from its top or upper side which when it is thus mounted is exposed, i.e. on its side remote from said printed circuit board, to ON or OFF positions. If such a printed circuit board with such a slide switch mounted thereon is used singly or so that its face is easily accessible, then no problem arises with regard to setting the slide switch; but in the event that such a printed circuit board is stacked together with other printed circuit boards, or is otherwise in an inaccessible position, it becomes difficult or impossible to access the top side of the slide switch so as to set it.
Sometimes, it is practiced to pull out the printed circuit board bearing the slide switch from its position, in order to set the slide switch; but this is very disadvantageous, since it is troublesome and requires some skill on the part of the operator, and also there is a risk that the board may not be appropriately replaced back in its position. An alternative has been to use a different type of slide switch whose sliding switch members are accessible from its side, rather than from its top, and to mount such a slide switch at the edge of the printed circuit board; but to provide such an alternative type of side access slide switch, as well as the common or straightforward top access type of slide switch detailed above whose sliding switch members are accessed from its top or upper side when it is thus mounted, is costly and creates inventory load. Accordingly, this is not an economical solution to the slide switch side access problem.